1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus, a control method of imaging apparatuses, and a computer program, and more particularly, to an imaging apparatus, a control method of imaging apparatuses, and a computer program which are capable of calculating a distance to a subject on the basis of a face of a person as a subject and providing a user with the calculated distance information.
2. Background Art
Focusing processing for bringing an imaging apparatus such as a digital still camera and a digital video camera into focus on a subject includes auto-focus processing in which focus adjustment is performed automatically and manual-focus processing in which focus adjustment is performed by the user operation. Generally, when the focus adjustment is performed by manual-focus operation, adjustment is performed while viewing an image on a monitor such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) and an electronic view finder (EVF).
As reference information for a case where the focus adjustment is performed by a manual operation with an image in the monitor being watched, a configuration in which an indicator indicating a focal distance on the basis of a position of a focus lens is displayed in a monitor screen is, for example, disclosed in JP-A-2004-94103. In addition, a configuration in which an indicator indicating the degree of in-focus for a subject is displayed is disclosed in JP-A-2002-209135 and JP-A-2005-181373.
However, generally, the LCD or EVF as a monitor which is built in the imaging apparatus has a relatively low resolution, and it is difficult to precisely determine whether a target subject is in focus from an image in the monitor. As a technique for solving this problem, an imaging apparatus which has a function of displaying an image in the monitor on an enlarged scale has been provided.
However, when the display on an enlarged scale is performed, there is a problem that detection of an actual distance to a subject from the display on the screen becomes difficult. As a result, a user performs a manual focus operation randomly until a person is in focus, and only after the person is in focus, the user can acquire an approximate distance to the person. In other words, in this case, the indicator rarely performs a function of supporting the manual focus control of the user.